Going Rogue
A podcast about the film industry that looks at both the films, and the industry. The show covers the writing, shooting, editing and reshooting of troubled films and tries to not only find out what happened, but why, sometimes in a single episode, sometimes over an entire season. Hosted by film writer Tansy Gardam, Going Rogue is all about the context and complications of making movies, and the often wild reasons that films are... like that.
Episodes
The Fall of Skywalker IV: Fix It In Post
Without the edit, there is no film. Without Marcia Lucas, there is no Star Wars.Sideway’s video Why the Music of Rise of Skywalker Felt Misleading is absolutely fantastic - also give his video on Cats a watch too if you were raised Catsolic by a Cats loving mother and have a lot of thoughts about the musical crimes of that film which are hard to share in polite company.We have a Patreon — if you’r
The Fall of Skywalker III: TrIXie
Star Wars Episode IX is often dismissed as a film made by committee, but with its constant on-set rewrites, loose improvisational style and hyperactive camera movement, it’s very much a J.J. Abrams film.All hail the Oracle, my horrible beautiful boy. We have a Patreon - if you like what we do, you can be part of it! There are bonus episodes too - I’m seeing Mando like right after this episode goes
The Fall of Skywalker II: The Mystery Box
It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that any criticism of J.J. Abrams’ work must discuss the Mystery Box.Check out Jon McCoy’s Episode IX Visual Sketchbook - it’s really fuckin cool! Also while you’re at it, Phil Saunders has also shared a heap of his work on the film with explanations of the process AND exact dates that really helped me piece together the timeline on this one.We have a Patre
The Fall of Skywalker I: Duel of the Fates
When he first heard that Lucasfilm would be making new Star Wars films, Colin Trevorrow knew he had been put in this earth to direct one of them...Guest StarringDavid Chen as Colin TrevorrowAlexei Toliopolous as George LucasAbigail Nussbaum as Kathleen KennedyAsher Elbein as the Crawl Jackson Ryan as the disembodied voice of the Lucasfilm PR departmentCLIPS USED: Happy Sad Confused: Colin Trevorro
Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl is many things: a character, a book, a best-selling children's series, a long resident of development hell and a massive investment in a potential franchise. But as a film, it basically doesn’t exist.If you want to support the show, we have a Patreon! You can subscribe for bonus episodes, plug-free versions of the show and the ongoing production of the show in general! Don't d
Dredd
2012’s Dredd is a nexus of pop culture rumours, mysteries and intrigue: but are we asking the right question when we ask who actually directed it?If you wish this episode had been about the 1995 film, it wasn't because Jason Jenkins already wrote a much better breakdown of that breakdown than I ever could. If you want to support the show, we have a Patreon! You can subscribe for bonus episodes
PREVIEW: How To Train Your Dragon (Bonus Live Action)
This is a preview of a bonus episode: you can listen to the full thing by subscribing to the Going Rogue Patreon. It's good I promise. And it's a couple of bucks a month what else are you doing with that money? If you can't afford it just hit me up on socials I'll send you a code but you do have to ask for it that's the social contract.
Ballerina
From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina boldly asks the question: what if a 23 year old wrote a script inspired by the trailer for John Wick Chapter 2, and that script then got turned into a John Wick spin-off?If you want to support the show, we have a Patreon! You can subscribe for bonus episodes, plug-free versions of the show and semi-regular Q&As when Tansy bleacher her hair. Just don't
Kung Fu Panda 4
Kung Fu Panda 4 did not set the world on fire: but if Dreamworks had gone ahead with the original idea to plonk an unchanged CGI Po into the real world, it might have.If you want to support the show, we have a Patreon! You can subscribe for bonus episodes, plug-free versions of the show and my eternal love and gratitude. Just don't do it through the iOS app.You can follow the show on Bluesky o
PREVIEW: Gambit (Bonus Episode)
This is a preview of our Patreon bonus episode on Josh Zetumer's Gambit script - you can check out the full episode here
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The Star Wars Holiday Special
The disastrous Star Wars Holiday Special aired exactly once, on November 17th 1978. For decades, George Lucas attempted to erase all trace of it from pop culture, and very nearly succeeded. So here’s an exhaustive history of how and why it happened.
If you want to support the show, we now have a Patreon! You can subscribe for bonus episodes, plug-free versions of the show and my eternal love
Cinderella
In 1950, Cinderella saved Disney from destruction. In 2015, Cinderella went on a wild journey from swashbuckling adventure to a visually sumptuous but emotionally vacuous film that set the template for the Live Action Remakes that now threaten to swallow cinema whole.
If you want to support the show, we now have a Patreon! You can subscribe for bonus episodes, plug-free versions of the show and
Gladiator II
This is not the story of the Gladiator II that you will see in cinemas. This is the story of the time Russell Crowe went rogue and commissioned a script for a Gladiator sequel where Maximus returns from the dead to save the early Christian Church from annihilation and is cursed by the gods to live forever.
FOGHORN: Sound of Freedom is real bad y'all!
If you want to support the show, we now have a
Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola is undeniably one of the greatest filmmakers who has ever lived. Megalopolis is the film he has been chasing for nearly 40 years. But when the posters declare “From The Man Who Brought You The Godfather and Apocalypse Now”, they should probably add “And Live Cinema and Tetro.”
CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses fictional depictions of sexual assault and sexual violence f
Rebel Moon: Part Two - The Cutgiver
Zack Snyder has a reputation as a Director’s Cut director: but what does that actually mean? And what happens when he’s given the chance to simultaneously make a Directors Cut and a ‘theatrical’ cut that will never go to theatres?
CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses fictional depictions of sexual assault and sexual violence from 44:55 - 47:28
If you want to support the show, we now have a
Rebel Moon: Part One - A Compromise of Filmmaking
Zack Snyder first pitched the idea Seven Samurai in Space when he was in college. In 2012, he pitched it to Kathleen Kennedy as his way of “fixing” Star Wars. In 2023, Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire was released on Netflix.
This is the story of how one idea becomes ten hours worth of movie.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses suicide at 16:10. There is also discussion of fictional de
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
At World’s End was once the most expensive movie ever made. But at what cost?
You can follow the show on Twitter (@goingrogue_pod), Instagram (@goingrogue_podcast), or tumblr or bluesy (@goingroguepod) or for slightly less hinged content, follow @tansyclipboard on twitter or @tansyg.bsky.social on Bluesky.
If you want to get in touch, you can email goingroguetansy@gmail.com
CLIPS USED:
Pira
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Almost everything that could go wrong went wrong on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. I still really like it.
You can follow the show on Twitter (@goingrogue_pod), Instagram (@goingrogue_podcast), or tumblr or bluesy (@goingroguepod) or for slightly less hinged content, follow @tansyclipboard on twitter or @tansyg.bsky.social on Bluesky.
If you want to get in touch, you can email g
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has gotta be the only good film to come out of IP mining.
I cannot recommend Dan Golding’s video essay A Theory of Film Music enough, and also highly recommend his book Star Wars After Lucas (he also has a great talk on Nostalgia Piano, but I think that one might have just been a conference exclusive)
You can follow the show on Twitter (@goin
Robin Hood
Nottingham was a high concept spec script that reimagined the Robin Hood legend from the perspective of the Sheriff of Nottingham that asked whether we should follow the law, or our heroes. Robin Hood is a movie where Robin Hood does not rob from the rich or give to the poor, but his dad did write the Magna Carta.
This is the story of how Nottingham became Robin Hood.
You can follow the show on
Don't Worry Darling
This is not the first podcast about Don’t Worry Darling.
But this is one of the few that discusses the film, and its transformation from a Black Mirror-esque spec script written by Dick Van Dyke’s grandsons into a beautiful but poorly paced film with a confusing message. And somehow, between those two, there was a solid, compelling script. But it was paired with a directorial intention that was fu
How To Train Your Dragon
In October 2008, Chris Sanders was asked to take over a troublesome film with a March 2010 release date. He immediately called his old co-director Dean Deblois. Somehow, despite everything we've ever discussed on this podcast, the film they made is good.
How To Train Your Dragon is the opposite of almost every film we've covered before - an instant classic that pushed the animation form a
The Creator
Seven years after Rogue One, Gareth Edwards is back with his new film The Creator, an original science fiction blockbuster about robots, AI and true love. The film has been surrounded by breathless reporting of its $86 million budget, the $4000 camera it was shot on and the future of blockbuster filmmaking - but, like most film reporting, the truth is far more complicated than the headlines. And i
Striking Out: Dr Horrible's Sing-along Blog
Dr Horrible’s Sing-along Blog was born from the 2007 Writers Strike as a bold new way to take power back from the studios. Or at least, that’s one version of the story. Another involves a long-gestating podcast project. Yet another involves Jeff Bezos.
A 42 Minute webseries that apparently earned Joss Whedon more money than The Avengers, Dr Horrible was released almost six months after the Writer
Striking Out: South Park
The South Park episode Canada on Strike first aired in April 2008 - a “biting” “satire” released well after the Writers Strike had left the news cycle, and one of many media pieces that helped cement the legend that the entire strike had been about The Internet. But one of the many issues that the WGA had brought to the table was the very reason that the South Park team were so annoyed with the Gu
Striking Out: America's Next Top Model
In 2006, more than a year before the Writers Strike, twelve producers of America’s Next Top Model walked off their job to demand a new contract: as Writers protected by the Writers Guild of America. The production company refused to bargain with the WGA, worried it would set a dangerous precedent by giving Reality TV producers higher wages, residuals and writer credits. The WGA, on the other hand,
Striking Out: Heroes
In 2005, Tim Kring took a 5 hour walk with his old friend Jeph Loeb, and pitched him the pilot episode of his new show - Heroes.
Inspired by a structural writing challenge, a desire to see good in ordinary people and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, Heroes was one of the biggest new shows of 2006. By the end of 2007, it had all come crashing down. The Writer’s Strike is often held responsible for
Striking Out: The Office
In 2005, an American adaption of a UK cringe-com written by a former Simpsons writer became an unexpected hit on iTunes. So despite middling ratings, the show was given a second season and a second chance.
It went on to become the defining sitcom of a generation, and one of the most streamed series of all time.
Through every early development of online content, The Office was right there, riding
Striking Out: Quantum of Solace (Part 2)
Six months of pre-production. Six months of principal photography.
Six weeks in the edit.
Quantum of Solace has long been seen as a victim of the Writers Strike. But the strike was just one of many, many roadblocks that the film blissfully drove straight through.
Striking Out is a new series of Going Rogue about the 07/08 Writers Guild of America strike, exploring the issues of the strike by lo
Striking Out: Quantum of Solace (Part 1)
In 2005, Daniel Craig was announced as the new James Bond. On the same day, producer Michael G Wilson mentioned that work had already started on Craig's second Bond film.
That film would eventually become Quantum of Solace. And it would be remembered less as a film and more as a casualty of the 2007 Writers Strike. But how much did the strike really affect Quantum of Solace?
Striking Out is
Striking Out Trailer
In 2007, The Writers Guild of America went on strike. In 2023, they might do it again.
So this is season three of Going Rogue: Striking Out.
Striking Out starts on May 7th, with weekly episodes.
This is basically the same promo as the one at the end of Going Solo but now it has a date attached.
For smart threads and dumb memes, follow the show on twitter @GoingRogue_Pod
For a daily update on
Going Solo IV: Howard
On a dark summer night on the set of American Graffiti, Ron Howard asked George Lucas what film he wanted to do next. Lucas was shy with details, but he said it was sort of a Buck Rogers film with Stanley Kubrick special effects, but really, really fast.
Both Howard and Lucas would go onto wildly successful directorial careers, but while George Lucas was stuck in a galaxy far far away, Howard beca
Going Solo III: Kennedy
Cameras rolled on Solo: A Star Wars Story in early 2017. For six-ish months, Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed their version of the film - a highly stylised, ambitious take on Han Solo’s backstory. But in putting their version to film, Lord and Miller used the filmmaking process they’d honed over decades of work together - improvising, trying things out and throwing things away in pursuit of the
Going Solo II: Lord & Miller
In 1997, Christopher Miller lucked his way into a meeting with Disney’s TV Animation Department - and he turned them down, because he had to study for midterms. But when he finally did go to LA and meet with Disney, he brought along his best friend, Phil Lord.
Twenty years later, Lord and Miller were chosen to direct Solo: A Star Wars Story, after a meteoric rise from writers of oft-cancelled sitc
Going Solo I: Kasdan
In October 2012, Lawrence Kasdan was asked if he wanted to write another Star Wars film.
He didn't. But when he went to turn down George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy in person, someone mentioned they also wanted to make a Han Solo movie.
Five and a half years later, Solo: A Star Wars Story became the first ever Star Wars box office bomb. You think you know what happened, but exactly ho
Going Rogue VI: The Release
In December 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released into the world. With six weeks of reshoots, a painfully short edit, an unexpected election and a new composer after the first one dropped out due to "scheduling issues", the film was finally finished - the day before its premiere. But was it successful? And more importantly, was it political?
In this final episode of Going Rogu
Going Rogue V: The Reshoots
In 2001, The Bourne Identity went through four rounds of reshoots, after going massively over budget and over schedule. The final product, partly directed and potentially edited by producer Frank Marshall instead of director Doug Liman, was a hit. Liman wasn't invited back for the sequel, but writer Tony Gilroy was.
In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story went through six weeks of reshoots and
Going Rogue IV: The Edit
By early 2016, Rogue One had wrapped shooting and moved into the edit. Editors Jabez Olssen and Colin Goudie had been cutting the film since the day cameras rolled, but with director Gareth Edwards's loose, unplanned shooting style and habit of shooting images over story, the edit would take, according to Edwards, "three years".
They had nine months.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a
Going Rogue III: The Shoot
In August 2015, cameras rolled on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - and they rolled, and rolled. Gareth Edwards's unconventional shooting style emphasised improvisation not just in performance but also in blocking, camera placement, lighting and all other elements of filming. The film's two distinct shooting styles, initially separated as Empire and Rebellion, started to blur, and the pursuit
Going Rogue II: The Script
In 2013, Gareth Edwards pretended he was going to get lunch, and instead went to a meeting with Kiri Hart at Lucasfilm. He was one of a handful of promising young directors who'd been handpicked to direct a new Star Wars film, off the strength of his low-budget debut Monsters. Edwards was offered Destroyer of Worlds, originally pitched by VFX legend and Edwards's personal hero, John Knoll.
Going Rogue I: The Pitch
In 2003, John Knoll heard a rumour on the set of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It sparked a chain of events that would span two decades, several films and one massive corporate takeover, and would finally result in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
This is the story of Rogue One, told by someone who has spent more time thinking about the film than anyone who worked on it (except John Kn
